


Imagine: Waking up from a nightmare and Captain Pike calms you down.

by allthetrek



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 15:02:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18284690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allthetrek/pseuds/allthetrek
Summary: Warnings: Possible spoilers. Angst. Mostly just harmless fluff though.





	Imagine: Waking up from a nightmare and Captain Pike calms you down.

Your bare fingertips scratch desperately at the frosty metal of the space station doors. You are trapped in the airlock, the interior of the station just out of reach on the other side of the hatch doors. The inhospitable void of space awaits you, just a few inches of tritanium away. The sound of the computer counts down the seconds to your demise, each number echoing through your mind. The temperature seems to drop multiple degrees with each integer, and fear grows exponentially in your chest.

It feels like the air is being sucked out of the airlock, and you’re holding your breath, clutching in vain at your throat as you feel the tightness in your chest worsening. Tears blur your vision; fear and frustration building further as the computer’s emotionless tone reaches its destination. “Two… One…”.

You hear the hiss of the exterior hatch opening, but then silence as the air inside is removed, no medium to transmit sound waves. No one can hear you scream, in space. A force pulls at you, carrying you against your will into the certain death outside. You are powerless, out of breath, and terrified. Suddenly, all you see is black, an all-encompassing emptiness, and cold. So incredibly cold and alone…

***

“Ahhh!” you cry out, coming out of your nightmare, partial consciousness flooding into you. You sit up in bed, clutching your throat, gasping as precious, life-sustaining oxygen permeates your tissues once more. Tears stream down your cheeks; burning hot tears of fear and frustration.

You feel a hand on your back and recoil, startled and still a hostage to your dream.

“[Y/N]! It’s okay… It was a dream. I’m here.” You hear Christopher’s sweet voice, deeper and cracking slightly from the deep sleep you’d roused him from. His arm comes around you, and he moves closer to you, pulling you into him as he sits up with you.

You start to become aware of your surroundings. You’re in the quarters you share with Christopher, the room dark except for the dim blue safety lighting near the doorway, and the faint streaks of stars passing by at warp through the windows, which become tinted at night to promote sleep. You feel the soft, grey sheets beneath you, and run your fingertips along the fabric. A comforting contrast to the vivid, icy metal of your dream.

Christopher’s hand rubs up and down your arm, his warm touch anchoring you in the present. “Take a deep breath. Just breathe,” he instructs you, his lips coming to your bare shoulder, kissing you sweetly. His lips are so warm… He trails comforting kisses along your shoulder and to the crook of your neck. You close your eyes and breathe in deeply… One… Two… Three…

Your body begins to relax and you wipe the partially dry tears off of your face with the bedsheet. Christopher notices; he hates to see you in distress.

“Same dream again?” he queries. Ever since Airiam… That day on the station… It’s been hard for you, reliving that moment, your subconscious twisting the events and amplifying your feelings of guilt that you couldn’t help her. That you couldn’t save your friend.

You take another breath and look to Christopher, nodding your head. “Yeah. Just a little PTSD. Comes with the job,” you say with a weak smile, trying to brush it off. He knows you better than that. The things you’ve experienced being in Starfleet… The things he’s been through. He knows better than anyone that it takes its toll. You never know what will get to you, in ways you can’t predict. Sometimes you feel numb to things, other times hyper-sensitive. This ship seriously needs a counsellor…

But Christopher is here for you, whatever you need. You feel his fingers brush up and under your top, beginning to trace lightly across your back. It’s the most incredible sensation, so relaxing, and he knows it calms you down. He strokes your back as you breathe, focusing on the feeling of him touching you, each nerve ending he activates sending your dream into the harmless past.

Your body relaxes, and you yawn, feeling safe enough to close your eyes again. Christopher pulls you down, back to the pillows with him, his arm still protectively around you. You cuddle up into his warmth, your sanctuary, laying your head on his chest. He pulls you close, kissing the top of your head. He loves how he can calm you down. Taking care of you is one of the best things in the universe. You can take care of yourself, but the fact that you can be vulnerable to him, and only him, letting your true self come through, letting your guard down… He knows how lucky he is. And so do you.

You listen to his breathing, steady and calm, his slightly audible heartbeats growing less frequent as he holds you. Your fingers play absentmindedly with the scattering of coarse hair on his chest, until your movements cease, and you drift off again, Christopher not far behind…

No more bad dreams after tonight.


End file.
